1. Don’t assume that just because you have test anxiety that the problem is only test anxiety. Test performance issues may also have an independent panic component. If panic attacks are ignored or left unaddressed, treatment is likely to fail.
2. The very characteristics that make some individuals successful can serve as liabilities for others. Characteristics like perfectionism and other obsessive-compulsive traits can be associated with pathological doubt, which can induce panic attacks, increase test-taking time, and lead to procrastination and avoidance of essential test preparation. If this is the case, the most effective treatment would address these characteristics, not the test anxiety itself.
3. In the case of certifications or other high stakes situations that allow multiple pass attempts, work on your test anxiety prior to your first examination. Apply Ben Franklin’s famous adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Previous examination failures can undermine (or decimate!) your confidence and make the situation into more of an uphill battle than it needs to be. If you have already failed your examination, make sure that treatment addresses any failure-related thoughts you might be experiencing.
4. The most evidence-based treatment for the above issues (test anxiety, panic, OCD traits) is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can also address any related depressive symptoms. Do not select a provider who practices in a different modality–go with the research evidence. Some providers may supplement CBT with mindfulness (which can be a nice adjunct), but mindfulness should not be the core of treatment for test anxiety.
5. Expanding on the previous idea, not all cognitive behavioral therapists are alike. Find a therapist who actually utilizes both cognitive AND behavioral interventions to treat your test-related anxiety. In addition to the cognitive therapy that needs to happen, treatment should be behaviorally-based. For test anxiety, this means completing simulated examinations in advance of your actual test date. These simulations should be designed to resemble (as closely as possible) all aspects of your upcoming examination.
6. In addition to psychotherapy, some medications can be helpful (e.g., SSRIs, etc) but it can take awhile for these medications to build up to therapeutic levels. If you want medication to be part of your treatment, it’s important to plan ahead (i.e., ~3 months) and work closely with your doctor. Furthermore, you should know that prescribing is not an exact science. Doctors cannot always predict in advance which medication will work best for you. Keep in mind that the first medication you try might have to be adjusted or replaced by another medication to help you achieve maximum benefit.
7. Although shorter-acting medications (e.g., benzodiazepines or “benzos”) can bring quick anxiety relief, they are not without significant cons. As such, it’s important to be very cautious when choosing them. Your doctor can advise you on these issues.
8. It is also important to complement any regimen for combating test anxiety with herbal medication such as A2X. The researchers at A2X Anxiety have formulated a compound that should work well with any combined approach.
2. The very characteristics that make some individuals successful can serve as liabilities for others. Characteristics like perfectionism and other obsessive-compulsive traits can be associated with pathological doubt, which can induce panic attacks, increase test-taking time, and lead to procrastination and avoidance of essential test preparation. If this is the case, the most effective treatment would address these characteristics, not the test anxiety itself.
3. In the case of certifications or other high stakes situations that allow multiple pass attempts, work on your test anxiety prior to your first examination. Apply Ben Franklin’s famous adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Previous examination failures can undermine (or decimate!) your confidence and make the situation into more of an uphill battle than it needs to be. If you have already failed your examination, make sure that treatment addresses any failure-related thoughts you might be experiencing.
4. The most evidence-based treatment for the above issues (test anxiety, panic, OCD traits) is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can also address any related depressive symptoms. Do not select a provider who practices in a different modality–go with the research evidence. Some providers may supplement CBT with mindfulness (which can be a nice adjunct), but mindfulness should not be the core of treatment for test anxiety.
5. Expanding on the previous idea, not all cognitive behavioral therapists are alike. Find a therapist who actually utilizes both cognitive AND behavioral interventions to treat your test-related anxiety. In addition to the cognitive therapy that needs to happen, treatment should be behaviorally-based. For test anxiety, this means completing simulated examinations in advance of your actual test date. These simulations should be designed to resemble (as closely as possible) all aspects of your upcoming examination.
6. In addition to psychotherapy, some medications can be helpful (e.g., SSRIs, etc) but it can take awhile for these medications to build up to therapeutic levels. If you want medication to be part of your treatment, it’s important to plan ahead (i.e., ~3 months) and work closely with your doctor. Furthermore, you should know that prescribing is not an exact science. Doctors cannot always predict in advance which medication will work best for you. Keep in mind that the first medication you try might have to be adjusted or replaced by another medication to help you achieve maximum benefit.
7. Although shorter-acting medications (e.g., benzodiazepines or “benzos”) can bring quick anxiety relief, they are not without significant cons. As such, it’s important to be very cautious when choosing them. Your doctor can advise you on these issues.
8. It is also important to complement any regimen for combating test anxiety with herbal medication such as A2X. The researchers at A2X Anxiety have formulated a compound that should work well with any combined approach.
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